Yin and Yang Part One - Dawn Aarons

ChineseMedicineTheory–Unit1–copyrightDawnAarons2008 1

YinandYangPartOneUnity–WuChi

Non‐differentiation,Bigbang,everythingisone

DifferentiationintoYin/Yang

‐fromEnergeticTaiChiChuan,LarryJohnson

Exercise1:IntrotoHorseStance.Suspendingbetweenheavenandearth.Mindfulnessofbreath.(Breathethiswayfor5minuteseachday)


FromTheFoundationsofChineseMedicine,GiovanniMaciocia,2005

Yang=sunnysideofthehill

Yin=shadedsideofthehill


“One?Notwo!

Two?Noone!” Dr.Yang,JwingMing

“TheconceptofYin‐Yang,togetherwiththatofQi,haspermeatedChinesephilosophyoverthecenturiesandisradicallydifferentfromanyWesternphilosophicalidea.Ingeneral,Westernlogicisbasedupontheoppositionofcontraries,whichisthefundamentalpremiseofAristotelianlogic.Accordingtothislogic,apairofcontraries(suchas“Thetableissquare”and“Thetableisnotsquare”)cannotbothbetrue.ThishasdominatedWesternthoughtforover2000years.TheChineseconceptofyin‐Yangisreadicallydifferentformthissystemofthought:YinandYangrepresentoppositebutcomplementaryqualities.Eachthingorphenomenoncouldbeitselfanditscontrary.Moreover,YincontainstheseedofYangsothatYincantransformintoYangandviceversa.”

FromTheFoundationsofChineseMedicine,GiovanniMaciocia,2005

Yin/Yangwasanancientphilosophicaltheoryincorporatedintomedicalpractice.

Onevisualrepresentation(usedintheIChing):

AbrokenlinerepresentsYinandanunbrokenlinerepresentsYang.Inpairsandtrigrams:

Thevariouscombinationsofthetrigramsgivesrisetothe64hexagrams(beyondthescopeofthiscourse;however,manybooksontheIChingarewidelyavailable).

Exercise2:_________________________________________________________________________________

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Yang YinFire Water

Heaven Earth

Sun Moon

Light Dark

Up Down

Hot Cold

Moving Still

Lateral Medial

Outside Inside

Bright Dim

Excitation Inhibition

Non‐substantial Substantial

Hollow Solid

East(sunise) West

Spring/Summer Fall/Winter


INHUMANBEINGS

Yang YinMasculinity Femininity

Active Passive

Splendour Plainness

Hardness Softness

Left Right

Odd Even

Exterior Interior

UpperPart LowerPart

Back Front

Skinandhair Tendonsandbones

Energy Blood

DefensiveEnergy NutrientEnergy

ORGANS********

LargeIntestines Lungs

Stomach Spleen(Pancreas)

SmallIntestines Heart

Bladder Kidneys

TripleWarmer(Heater,SanJiao) Pericardium

GallBladder Liver


5PrinciplesofYin/Yang•AdaptedfromChineseMedicineandMoxibustion

Thetheoryofyin‐yangisaconceptualframeworkwhichwasusedforobservingandanalyzingthematerialworldinancientChina.TheearlytheoryofyinyangwasformedintheYinandZhoudynasties(sixteenthcentury221B.C.).Thetermyin‐yangfirstappearedinTheBookofChanges,“YinandYangreflectalltheformsandcharacteristicsexistingintheuniverse”.

•1TheOppositionofYinandYangThetheoryofyin‐yangholdsthateverythinginnaturehastwooppositeaspects,namelyyinandyang.Theoppositionofyinandyangismainlyreflectedintheirabilitytostrugglewith,andthuscontroleachother.Forinstancewarmthandheat(yang)maydispelcold,whilecoldnessandcold(yin)maylowerahightemperature.Undernormalconditionsinthehumanbody,arelativephysiologicalbalance(homeostasis)ismaintainedthroughthemutualoppositionofyinandyang.

Exercise3:RelativityofYinandYang‐(chosetopicoutofahat)___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

•2TheInterdependenceofYinandYangNeithercanexistinisolation‐withoutyintherecanbenoyang,withoutyangnoyin.ThefifthchapterofPlainQuestionssays,“Yinremainsinsidetoactasaguardforyang,andyangstaysoutsidetoatasaservantforyin”.Whenthisisappliedtothephysiologyofthehumanbody,yincorrespondstonutrientsubstances,andyangtofunctionalactivitiesmanifestontheexterior.

Exercise4‐___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


•3TheinterconsumingsupportingrelationshipofYinandYangThetwoaspectsofyinandyangwithinanyphenomenonareconsumptionandsupport.Forinstance,thevariousfunctionalactivities(yang)ofthebodywillnecessarilyconsumeacertainamountofnutrientsubstance(yin).Ontheotherhand,theproductionofvariousnutrientsubstanceswillnecessarilyconsumeacertainamountofenergy(yang).Normally,thisisinastateofrelativebalance.Ifthisrelationshipgoesbeyondnormalphysiologicallimits,however,therelativebalanceofyinandyangwillnotbemaintained,resultinginexcessordeficiencyofeitheryinoryangandtheoccurrenceofdisease.

Yin=Substance(structureoforganandsubstancesofblood,fludsandessence)

Yang=FunctionoforgansandQi

i.Whenoneisoutofbalancetheyaffecttheother

ii.Substancedependsonfunctionandviceversa

iii.Qi(Yang)isthecommanderofBlood.********

iv.Blood(Yin)isthemotherofQi.**********

v.Yinorgansdependonyangorganstoproduceqiandblood

vi.YangorgansdependonYinorgansfortheirnourishmentfrombloodandbodyfluids.

•4TheintertransformingrelationshipofYinandYangExtremeyinwillnecessarilyproduceyang,andextremeyangwillnecessarilyproduceyin.

Yinatit’sextremeturnsintoYangandviceversa

i. internalconditionsleadtoexternalchange

ii. dependsonthetimefactor–caonlychangeintoeachotheratacertainstageofdevelopmentandwhentheconditionsareripeforchange

iii. someexamples–dayturnsintonight,inhalationbecomesexhalation,windcoldturnsintofever,feverbreakswithchills.


•5TheinfinitedivisibilityofYinandYang.Yinandyangaspectscanbefoundinonethingandbefurtherdivided.Chapter66ofthebookThePlainQuestionssays“Theqiofyinoryangmaybelesserorgreater.Thatiswhythereare3yinand3yang.

Night(midnightto6:00am)–YangwithinYin Spring

Morning(6am‐noon)–YangwithinYang Summer

Afternoon(noon‐6pm)YinwithinYang Fall

Evening(6pm‐12midnight)YinwithinYin Winter

Indiagramform:

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YIN AND YANG When we begin the study of the theory of Yin and Yang, we tend to think of them as “opposites”, which is how almost all textbooks will define them. This makes more sense to us in categorizing the differences. For example, black is Yin and white is Yang. All things in Nature, including man, consist of things that are either “yin” or “yang”. We can say, that as a woman, I am “Yin”. Male is “Yang”. Fire is “Yang”. Water is “yin”…or is it? How would ice be classified? We would assume Yang, correct? And Yang would be correct. The important thing to remember is that Yin and Yang are always changing, always present and interdependent on each other, therefore never entirely either Yin, or Yang. I believe that if you think about this relationship that exists between Yin and Yang and never see them “separately”, but mingling and constantly changing, although perhaps at some points in time, “more Yin” and at other times, “more Yang”. My personal relationship with Yin and Yang and Acupuncture and TCM is that is allows me to be “open-minded”. For me and in my practice, there is rarely ever “one way” to see a patient, or to treat a patient. Think about your view of yourself and the world. Do you adhere to an either “Yin or Yang” viewpoint, or do you see things as constant change and evolution? -Noel Wright, Acupuncturist, 2006 The initial challenge in studying Chinese Medicine is not one of memorization or content. It requires a new way of experiencing the world around us- a new way of thinking. As we begin to contemplate yin and yang, we can see their interplay everywhere we look. The goal of this course is to not only introduce these concepts, but to help the student find ways to incorporate their new understandings into their daily lives- both professionally and personally. What does yin and yang mean to you? Are you open to watching how this meaning develops and changes over time?

ChineseMedicineTheory–Unit1–copyrightDawnAarons200810

ExercisesforUnit1

1) DailyQiGongPractice‐developingawarenessofbreath,connectiontoheavenandearth,interpayofyin/yangallaround,legstrengthandsensitivitytoenergyinandaroundthebody.

2) ThrowanIChing‐visitwww.ichingonline.nettodoitvirtually(andtolearnmoreaboutthetrigramsandhexagrams)unlessyouknowhowtodoityourself.Writeaboutyourexperience.Wasitusefultoyou?

3) RelativityofYinandYang–

a)Listtheyinandyangofanorange(minimumof20relationships.Ie.“AisyininrelationtoB”eg.Theinsideoftheseedisyincomparedtotheoutsideoftheseed,theskinoftheorangeisyangcomparedtothepith.Thepithisyangcomparedtothejuiceintermsoflocationbutyincomparedtothejuiceintermsofitsheaviness/thickness,etc)

b)Chooseanotherobjectofyourchoice.Findatleast5instancesinwhichapartcanbeseenasbothyinandyangdependingonwhatyouarecomparingwith(eg.awoman5’5”istallcomparedtoawoman5’0”andshortcomparedtoawoman5’10”)Challengeyourself.

4)Interdependence

a)sitdowninacomfortablepositionpreparedtobreathfor2minutes.Onlybreathin.Writeaboutyourexperience.Haveyouhadtimesorsituationsinyourlifeinwhichyouhavetriedto“onlybreathin”(or“onlybreathout”).Howdidtheygo?Doeslifeallowonly“oneway”?

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Yin and Yang Part One - Dawn Aarons